Vineyard Hotel And Spa Launches The Square Restaurant
South Africa, Newlands, Cape Town, February 2007; The deluxe Vineyard Hotel and Spa located in leafy Newlands, Cape Town has opened a new eatery – The Square Restaurant.

The saying out with the old in with the new is an apt description for what many renovators’ do with a brief to introduce a new kid on an old block. But the strong sense of history that the Vineyard Hotel and Spa imparts is not something to be diminished even when keeping up with the times and it was with this philosophy in mind that the brand new Square Restaurant was brought onto the scene.

In the same location of the old Courtyard Restaurant at the centre of the hotel, the Square has bounced on to the scene when it was decided that the old eatery was becoming somewhat outdated and there was a need to offer a fresh new look.

The rich history of the hotel dates back to 1799 when Lady Anne Barnard took up residence in the gracious home. In 1830 the home was converted to a double storey and in front of the lovely building was a courtyard.

It became the Vineyard Hotel in 1896 and almost 100 years and several owners later, in 1980 was bought by the Petousis family, who redeveloped the property into one of the most highly regarded hotels in the country along with its six acres of exquisitely landscaped gardens.

In the area where Francois Petousis envisioned the Courtyard restaurant (where the original courtyard stood) were several trees which he decided to leave and they have become a focal point of the restaurant. Today the marriage of old and new means the trees still stand proudly, watching over history and innovation.

The services of well-known Cape architects Revel Fox and Associates were employed to undertake the renovations, with Revel Fox personally involved in what he terms a “precious asset”.

And the new-look restaurant is a now a beautiful symbiosis of glass, steel, wood and light. Now expanded over two floors, a glass wall shows off the original manor and the ceiling boasts state-of-the-art glass beams.

The architects also have successfully opened up the magnificent vistas on both sides for which the hotel is famous so that diners sitting upstairs on the second floor can look out on the mountains and the Newlands forest. The name The Square fittingly describes the central meeting place – as if the hotel were a small city, then this is the centre.

As with all centres, The Square offers a dual purpose: to accommodate residents of the hotel for breakfast and then to be utilised in the evenings as a contemporary, relaxed dining venue. So the breakfast buffet counter becomes a swish sushi bar with three highly-trained sushi chefs strutting their stuff to make some of the best sushi the city has to offer.

The hotel has employed the services of well-known chef Alex Docherty, who together with Roy Davies, general manager of the hotel has devised a fresh and enticing menu which offers both traditional and contemporary dishes all with an innovative twist.

Vineyard Hotel - The Square - Interior

Expect the likes of slow-roasted duck with bean sprouts and shitake mushrooms; grilled yellow fin tuna with a fresh avo and pepper salad; a simple dish of beer battered fish and chips with mushy peas or a vegetarian delight of smoked plum tomato and parmesan tart with grilled asparagus and basil mascarpone.

Chef’s specials which change on a daily basis tempt further with, for example, a risotto of fresh porcini mushrooms with rocket, parmesan and truffle oil or pan fried cob on oriental fried bok choy with a refreshing salsa of tomato, coriander and spring onion.

A well-chosen wine list boosts and complements the menu with all the major estates represented as well as some more off-the-beaten track choices.

Breakfast diners have not been left out of the equation as far as the revamp is concerned – with the desire to entice more outsiders to partake of the sumptuous buffet and cooked breakfast combo, diners are treated to a full-on spread of fresh fruit, cereals, cold meats and cheeses as well as the delights of a traditional breakfast of eggs any which way and bacon or eggs with salmon/kippers/haddock or French toast or Belgian waffles. Accommodating those with more Eastern palates is a dish of egg fried rice with chicken, cashew nuts and Thai condiments.

The interior of the restaurant has been cleverly kitted out with state of the art furniture and soft furnishings – think high-backed chairs around the central set of tables to create a sense of intimacy, plain unadorned tables and the use of soothing beiges, creams and greys. Both interior designers and the architects worked together to create a holistic experience and it all combines to create a highly pleasing whole that fits in with the history of the surroundings.

And this is what The Square is all about – a modern amenity looking forward to a bright new future but paying a strong respect to the old and traditional.

For bookings call (021) 657 4500,
email eat@vineyard.co.za or visit
www.vineyard.co.za for more information.

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premierbrands@publicity.co.za or visit
the Press Room of Manley Communications
at www.manleycommunications.co.za.

Editor’s notes:
The Vineyard Hotel and Spa is a world-class luxury hotel situated in Cape Town’s leafy suburb of Newlands. The hotel offers 173 well-appointed rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and Angsana Spa, the five-star graded fine dining Au Jardin restaurant and new Square Restaurant as well as a large multi-purpose banqueting and conference venue. The Vineyard Hotel and Spa is the gateway to all of greater Cape Town and is a mere 15 minutes from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town International airport and the city centre.